ED Journey: Over the Hills & Through the Woods

Originally Posted by bagbklyn

Had to give you a second round of applause, I literally spent my entire Saturday morning reading your trip report in detail and making notes to my ED itinerary, rechecking all my reservations, etc. It was well worth the wait while you posted...

I'm glad everyone approves and that your Saturday was not viewed as a waste. My original effort crashed and burned last evening. So I stayed up all night and started around 0330 since that is when I knew the least amount of members would be online. Now I am trying to stay awake so my sleep clock doesn't get screwed up.
I kind of played a scenario through my head of the reaction some people may have had when they saw please wait to post: PLEASE WAIT TO POST, who does he think he is. YEAH, who does he think he is.........HERTZ.

WOW! I am utterly exhausted! Well done

I was wondering whether you would have trouble getting the car from your dealer on re-delivery, until I realized you did a PCD.

Any issues with the dealer on your return, or was the contract problem forgotten?

Originally Posted by sevendown

I was wondering whether you would have trouble getting the car from your dealer on re-delivery, until I realized you did a PCD.

Any issues with the dealer on your return, or was the contract problem forgotten?

There was an issue with one of the managers when I returned. I went in a day or two after I returned to try to resolve the situation amicably. They tried to hold the $$$ I paid for the warranties hostage until I signed a new contract although I had an "I owe" from them for the $$$. Then he accused me in front of other customers of illegally driving a car I had no right to. I left and let my attorney hash it out.
I found out later from my a friend of mine, whom is a service mgr at another Passport store, that this guy had always been an ass and they were not surprised he would resort to intimidation.
It got to the point were the VP of the dealership had to call me to get things resolved. But by the time that happened, the damage was done. My friends and family that are planning to do ED will be recommended to either Adrian, Irv or Ricki.

Amazing write up. Glad you enjoyed your trip. My wife and I went through Irv for our ED and had 0 problems.

- J

I was planning on making just a brief, routine check of the ED board to see if anyone had any news about re-delivery from Otello. That is when I started reading your post. It was like reading a novel that you could not put down! All of my schdule for today will have to be pushed back by an hour. You should consider selling you ED story to one of the car magaizines for publication. Roundel readers would eat this up. I felt like I was in the car with you at the "Ring". (I was real glad we made that right hander after going wieghtless.)

Excellent write up of an excellent trip. As a D200 owner I loved your photography. As a recent barbara red purchaser, I especially loved you car pictures. As a Passport/Jörn customer, sorry to hear about the contract fuss.

Remembering Europe has made a great start to my day. Thanks for sharing.

Originally Posted by Stevarino

I was planning on making just a brief, routine check of the ED board to see if anyone had any news about re-delivery from Otello. That is when I started reading your post. It was like reading a novel that you could not put down! All of my schdule for today will have to be pushed back by an hour. You should consider selling you ED story to one of the car magaizines for publication. Roundel readers would eat this up. I felt like I was in the car with you at the "Ring". (I was real glad we made that right hander after going wieghtless.)

Excellent write up of an excellent trip. As a D200 owner I loved your photography. As a recent barbara red purchaser, I especially loved you car pictures. As a Passport/Jörn customer, sorry to hear about the contract fuss.

Remembering Europe has made a great start to my day. Thanks for sharing.

I am surprised by all the people saying that they sat and read this through in one sitting. You lucky guy, a D200!!! I can't get over how good that color makes the car look. As to Passport, I would have remained a customer, even recommended them to friends and family, but when they accused me of basically stealing the car, causing this issue with the contract and treated me with such disrespect; I will take my money elsewhere. Again Joern was awesome, but the two managers I dealt with are asses.

Don't post here much but thought that I would chime in with a big congrats on the car, the girl, and the post. I'm a little ADHD so to sit and read it in one sitting says a lot about the quality of the prose. Two thumbs way up.

Originally Posted by _BillH

Don't post here much but thought that I would chime in with a big congrats on the car, the girl, and the post. I'm a little ADHD so to sit and read it in one sitting says a lot about the quality of the prose. Two thumbs way up.

My girlfriend happened to be sitting next me when I was reading your post. She is glad someone finally acknowledged that she was a participant on the trip.

Thanks for the kudos.

"I can’t remember where on the road I was, but there was a section that crested and the Alfa left the road surface. I saw this and came off the throttle and Cooper did not leave the road, but I could feel that it barely held contact. As I crested, there was a quick right turn and I saw the line the Alfa took. I downshifted and hit the brakes HARD feeling the ABS kick in before the turn-in and accelerated through turn as my reaction to the turn was a second late. You could hear the tire screaming for dear life."

I like this part the best. Real drama.

Originally Posted by Stevarino

"I can’t remember where on the road I was, but there was a section that crested and the Alfa left the road surface. I saw this and came off the throttle and Cooper did not leave the road, but I could feel that it barely held contact. As I crested, there was a quick right turn and I saw the line the Alfa took. I downshifted and hit the brakes HARD feeling the ABS kick in before the turn-in and accelerated through turn as my reaction to the turn was a second late. You could hear the tire screaming for dear life."

I like this part the best. Real drama.

I glad there was a run-off area at this turn.

" . . . but there was a section that crested and the Alfa left the road surface. I saw this and came off the throttle and Cooper did not leave the road, but I could feel that it barely held contact. As I crested, there was a quick right turn . . ."

Sounds like Flugplatz.

Originally Posted by MJKillian

" . . . but there was a section that crested and the Alfa left the road surface. I saw this and came off the throttle and Cooper did not leave the road, but I could feel that it barely held contact. As I crested, there was a quick right turn . . ."

Sounds like Flugplatz.

I just looked that up and it probably was.

Originally Posted by bimmernupe

My girlfriend happened to be sitting next me when I was reading your post. She is glad someone finally acknowledged that she was a participant on the trip.

Thanks for the kudos.

Hey, with a smile like that I'm pretty sure everyone noticed. I always click on the pics of the pretty girls before the pics of the cars! Hopefully that's normal or everyone on this forum needs a little help! You can pass on for me the fact that you backed up when you hit the ice in the mountains is a sign of higher intelligence rather than most who would exhibit a bit of the typically male bravado. If my wife were typing she'd probably make a comment about having first hand experience with males who mellow a bit with age.

Originally Posted by _BillH

Hey, with a smile like that I'm pretty sure everyone noticed. I always click on the pics of the pretty girls before the pics of the cars! Hopefully that's normal or everyone on this forum needs a little help! You can pass on for me the fact that you backed up when you hit the ice in the mountains is a sign of higher intelligence rather than most who would exhibit a bit of the typically male bravado. If my wife were typing she'd probably make a comment about having first hand experience with males who mellow a bit with age.

I let her read your post. She had a big Colgate grin.....vanity I tell ya!!

Awesome report. Awesome details. Awesome pics. Thank you!

Originally Posted by fszatko

Awesome report. Awesome details. Awesome pics. Thank you!

Awesomely nice kudos

Well done. Thank you.

Yeah man! I just had a 3rd ED through your post, thank you. You said it would be awhile coming because of the large number of photos and substantial contents, but it was well worth the wait. What a treat...

I'm glad to see you enjoyed your camera and I can certainly see the D80 classes paid off.

A word of advice - Benadryl or Dramamine works well for Stelvio and other similar roads.

Originally Posted by adc

Yeah man! I just had a 3rd ED through your post, thank you. You said it would be awhile coming because of the large number of photos and substantial contents, but it was well worth the wait. What a treat...

I'm glad to see you enjoyed your camera and I can certainly see the D80 classes paid off.

A word of advice - Benadryl or Dramamine works well for Stelvio and other similar roads.

What was funny is that she was pretty much ok during the day driving. It was just doing Stelvio at night. But I will definitely keep that tidbit in mind.

Which pic are you talking about?

Hi Bimmernupe, I also read your posting at one sitting and relived a lot of my ED experience. My wife and I had a great time as well, and your keen observations of many of the sights and happenings brought it all back again.
A couple of things:
Ang is indeed lovely, the smile and the killer almond eyes say the view was as nice inside the car as it was through the window. So, um, any thoughts of perhaps her becoming Mrs. Bimmernupe?
"Arbeit macht frei" on the gate at Dachau means "Work will make you free". It's the last thing millions read as they entered the camps.
Thanks for your post. Oh, I'm also an amateur photog. Your pictures are great.

Glad you enjoyed the story. Yes, we are working in that direction. i just told her that my thread has gone from being about the trip and car, to being solely about her. And I was wondering exactly what it meant.

Again thanks for the kudos.

for that one last Radler
LOL, that is the one and only bad experience I had on my ED trip. I was in Austria during Oktoberfest and spent several days soaking up the local customs in Salzburg. One wild evening we decided to have Chinese and that's where I met Radler. I speak a little German, enough to get by, buy dinner, make reservations, small talk etc. However this restaurant was run by recently arrived Chinese and their German was rudimentary. Their Mandarin was excellent for all I knew. I sure didn't speak any.
Anyway, as you say, when in Rome do as the Romans, so I'm having a beer with dinner, lunch and occasionally, breakfast. I see this new brand of beer on the menu, Radler, and naturally I have to try it. My gracious host was unable to tell me anything comprehensible about the beer, but I'm game. WTF, it's horse piss or something! Just what is that stuff? I think Radler is a category and not a brand. Could be half beer, half lemonade, and half distilled bratwurst. That adds up to 150 percent awful! You liked it?
Please notice that your gf was not mentioned once in this posting. Well, not until now.

Originally Posted by DSExmachia

for that one last Radler
LOL, that is the one and only bad experience I had on my ED trip. I was in Austria during Oktoberfest and spent several days soaking up the local customs in Salzburg. One wild evening we decided to have Chinese and that's where I met Radler. I speak a little German, enough to get by, buy dinner, make reservations, small talk etc. However this restaurant was run by recently arrived Chinese and their German was rudimentary. Their Mandarin was excellent for all I knew. I sure didn't speak any.
Anyway, as you say, when in Rome do as the Romans, so I'm having a beer with dinner, lunch and occasionally, breakfast. I see this new brand of beer on the menu, Radler, and naturally I have to try it. My gracious host was unable to tell me anything comprehensible about the beer, but I'm game. WTF, it's horse piss or something! Just what is that stuff? I think Radler is a category and not a brand. Could be half beer, half lemonade, and half distilled bratwurst. That adds up to 150 percent awful! You liked it?
Please notice that your gf was not mentioned once in this posting. Well, not until now.

You might have had a bad one and yes I believe Radler is a concoction of bier and lemonade. In Hamburg they put Sprite in. It was great.